Folding chicken-coop.



W. T. PHILLIPS & J. SHELTON. FOLDING CHICKEN COOP.

APPLICATION FILED rEB.1s,19x2.

1,066,418. Patented July 1, 1913.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT ernten.

WILLIAM T. PHILLIPS AND vJ'AIMES SVHELTO, v1? FLORENCE, ALABAMA.

roLDING CHICKEN-Goor.

To all whom, t may concern.'

` Be it known that We, W'ILLIAM T. PHIL- Lirs and JAMESn SHELTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Florence, in-th'e is light, strong, cheap and durable, anti which 'may be almost instantly either setup ready for use or knocked down and folded ready for transportation, the invention consistingr in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices, hereinafter deA scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsiLFigure 1 is a perspective view of a folding chicken coop constructed in accordance with our invention, showing the same set up and a1- rangetl ready for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse fwlioiinl view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enfl elevation ot the same, showing the coop in knocked down, compactly folded position. Fig". -l i a detail perspective view of the catch for .securing the top, sides and end of the coop in place when in folded position.

The bottom 1 of our improved coop is provided on its upper side. near its ends, with transversely arranged battons or bars 2. The sides fl of tho coop, which are open trainee.' covered by wire ganze 4, are connected to the ends of the battcns or bars by hinges 5 and arc adapted to fold inwardly on said battons or bars, as shown in Fig. 3

Y und to be nptnrned and arranged in vertical position. as .shown in l1`igs. lzind The top (i of the coo) is composed of two scctionn 7 each of \v iicli an open frame, covered by wire ganze 8. '.lli'e sections of the top are respw'tivuly connected to the free or n iper sides of the side Walls or meml'iers 3 ol' the coop b v means of hinges t) which are arranged on thc outer sides of the top sections and (be outer sides of the side members il, .is shown. so that the top sections are acaplcxl to be folded against the side mem- Specilcation of LettersPatet.

Patented Juiy1,'1913;

Application med February 13, 191e. Aserial No. 617,308.

bers 8 and to lie on the outer or Upper sides thereof when the coop is iii knockedl down or folded position. When the coop is set up, ready for use, as shown in Figs. ,1 and 2, tbe outer sides of the top sections 7 bear directly on the upper edges of the side members 3, the upper leaves of the hinges 9 being appr priat'ely spaced from the upperedges of the said side members `3, as indicated.- One of said top sections is provided with hooks' 10 and staples or keepers' ll provided, as;

hereinafter stated.

The end Walls or members 12 of the coop are open frames which are covered by wire gauze 13. These end walls or members are connected to the ends of tlie bottom, by

hinges 14 which are arranged at the outer' sides of said end Walls or members and on the lower side of the bottom, 'so thatV the end walls or members may be disposed in vertical position, asshown in 1 and 2,

when the coop i's set up ready fors and may be folded under the botto-m of the coop When the coop is knocked down, as shown in Fig. 3. The end wallsr are securedV iii place, when set up, byv the engagement .of the hooks 10 with the keepers ,11, the said keepers being securedto the said end walls or members and extending through open-Y ings 16. with'which one of the top sections is provided. Hence, the hooks 10 and keepers 11 not only 'secure the top sections of the Coop but 'also seeur'et'he end and i side rnembersgthe' of, eine@l they directly connect the end mpefbers to the top sections and theside men1liers""are held by the top sections in directeiiagement with the ends of the end members. The end members 12 are provided on'wtheir outer sides near their upper edges, with medially disposed staples or keepers 17. lVe also provide our improved cliicken coop with a cat/ch 18 for locking the parts when in folded or knocked doivn position. This catch is here shown as made of a single piece of wire comprising a vertical stem 19 which extends through a central opening in the bot-tom of the coop, a stop 2() which bears on the upper surface of the bottom of the coop, a cross arm or button arm 21 at the upper end of the stem, and a pair of oppositely extendingr arms 22 at the lower end of the stem and below the bottom of the coop. When the coop is in folded or knocked down position, the said catch is turned so as to cause its arm or button 21 to bear on the upper sides of the top sections 7 and its arms 22 are engaged with the keepers or staples 17 of the end members '.12 of the coop so that the said catch secures not only the top sections of the coop in place but also secures the end members in place under the bottom. To secure the outer edges of the top sections, the latter are provided with stades or keepers 23 at their centers, and hocA s 24 are connected to the bottom of the coop at its outer sides, at the center, the said hooks being adapted to engage the said keepers or staples 23.

From the foregoing description and by reference to thedrawings, it will be understood that our improved coop 'may be readily arranged either inset up or folded position and may be firmly secured in either of such positions.

While we have herein described our invention as a folding chicken' coop, it Will -be understood that our invention embodies a structure which may be used 'not only for the purposes.. of a folding,r chicken coop but may be also used as a crate for shipping fruits, vegetables or other commodities and we would have it .understood that we are not limited as to this particular.

While we havefherein shown and described what we now consider a preferred embodiment of the invention, changes may be made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts, without departing from the spirit. of our invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

Wre claim:

A folding structure of the class described, comprising a bottom, side members hinged to the bottom and adapted to be folded thereom top sections hinged to the side members and adapted to be folded outwardly thereon so that both the side members and top sections may be arranged above the bottom when the structure is folded, end members hinged to the bottom and arranged to be folded under the same, and a pivotof and carried by the bottom and comprising a vertical stemA pivotally mounted inv and extending through -the bottom, an arm at the upper end of the stem to bear on the top sections, and arms at the lower end of the stem to engage both of the end members. In testimony whereof we aix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. I

` WILLIAM T. PHILLIPS.

JAMES SHELTON. Witnesses:

A. R. ARIN, HENRY SANDERS.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 'of Patents. Washington, D. C.

Aally mounted catch arranged at the center c 

